


Five Thousand Credits and a Bottle of Whiskey

by comefeedtherainn



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Gen, M/M, Mass Effect Reverse Big Bang 2019, because of course it does have you met me, mostly gen but does include brief mshenko moments
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-03 04:29:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19456366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comefeedtherainn/pseuds/comefeedtherainn
Summary: Kaidan Alenko, for all his honesty and integrity, doesn't speak much about his past. Ever wondered what he was like when he was younger, only a handful of years after committing murder and the implosion of BAaT?Written for the Mass Effect Reverse Big Bang, inspired by (and including) art created by the lovely and talented Shotce!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work was inspired by the beautiful and majestic Shotce! Here's a link to her tumblr post (please go reblog and tell her how much you love it!) https://shotce.tumblr.com/post/186016799632/no-one-else-could-convince-me-to-draw-cigs-except#notes

**2186 CE**

There was a time when Kaidan spent near every night surrounded by thumping bass, flashing lights and various illicit substances. A time long (long, long) past, when he was angrier and could stay up until 4am without much effort, when he cared so little for himself that he didn’t avoid things that would split his head in two the next morning. So, finding himself in Afterlife, leaning against the bar beside Shepard as the latter shouted over the music to order them drinks, was a surprise.

He smiled as John handed him a bright blue drink, followed by a peck on the cheek.

“There you go.”

“Thanks,” Kaidan smirked, taking a sip and instantly shuddering. “God. What the hell is that?”

“I dunno,” John snickered, taking a sip himself and half-coughing and half-laughing. “Fuck.”

They found somewhere to sit, because they were old men and dancing was neither of their strong suits. For all of it’s grime and questionable clientele, Aria’s club was oddly comfortable, the couches and lounge chairs plush and the lights low enough that Kaidan didn’t have to squint. Even if that probably meant someone was probably dealing red sand in the neighboring booth.

He was distracted from his reverie as he caught John watching him, and laughed a bit. “What?”

“Nothing,” John grinned. “You’re just gorgeous.”

Kaidan snorted, looking down. “Nah.”

“Take the compliment, Alenko.”

“Fine. Thank you.”

“Mhm.”

“Alenko!”

Kaidan blinked, looking up with a start at the snarl of his name. Approaching their table was a vorcha, his fists clenched and his eyes wide with rage. He was a little off-balance, like he’d had one too many. As he drew closer Kaidan recognized him in the dim light, and was on his feet the next moment, stepping out from the both and drawing himself up.

“Turn around and leave, Besk.”

Besk growled, baring his teeth. “You have balls! Should have taught you a lesson years ago. I won’t make same mistake twice!”

“What the hell is going on?” Shepard asked sharply, coming to stand beside Kaidan. “Who are you?”

Besk glanced at him briefly, but didn’t linger, his eyes only for Kaidan. “Have no quarrel with you, human. This one cost me everything! And now I’m going to get my revenge.”

Kaidan clenched his jaw, taking a step forward until he and Besk were nearly toe to toe. “Try me. I dare you.”

“Enough!”

Aria T’loak, her expression fierce, stalked toward them.

“Aria.” Besk actually sounded a little nervous, which amused Kaidan to no end. “This is personal.”

“I’d ask that you not spill blood in my club,” she said darkly.”You know the rules, Besk.” She seemed to notice who the vorcha was facing off with and did a double take, blinking a few times. “Well. This is a surprise.”

Kaidan grunted, looking away. “Besk and I…go awhile back.”

“What the _fuck_ are you talking about?” John asked, staring at him. “How do you know him?!”

“He blew up my warehouse!” Besk snarled, enraged all over again. “Cost me money! Cost me men! Weapons!”

John stared at Besk, now, his jaw hanging and his expression blank. “Kaidan blew up your warehouse. This Kaidan?” He scoffed when Besk nodded once, throwing up his hands. “When?!”

“Fifteen years ago,” Kaidan huffed through his nose, his face burning a little.

Aria laughed, loudly, settling into the booth where Kaidan had been sitting and lounging. “Oh, that’s fantastic.”

John slowly sat beside her, looking a bit like he was in shock. “I don’t…understand.”

Kaidan pursed his lips, crossing his arms over his chest as he and Besk stared each other down.

“I ever tell you about my run-in with the vorcha mafia, 5,000 credits, and a bottle of whiskey?”


	2. Chapter 2

**2171 CE, OMEGA STATION**

  
Who knew it would be impossible to find a pack of fucking cigarettes on the delinquency hub of the goddamn galaxy?

Kaidan sighed heavily through his nose as he pushed away from the third shop counter he’d tried to buy from, developing an eye twitch by now. He hadn’t known, prior to his journey (escape? Although exactly what he was escaping, he wasn’t sure he could pinpoint)that there was such a thing as “dextro cigarettes.” But, that was basically all that the shop owners on Omega sold, not bothering to keep human friendly ones in stock.

Yeah, his eye was definitely twitching, now.

It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d felt that, perhaps, the residents of Omega didn’t particularly care for humans. He suspected they cared even less for human biotics, so he vowed to keep that shit on lockdown as he continued to explore the streets of the market district. Not that he would ever use his biotics in public, unless he absolutely had to. Or he lost control again.

The market district was grimy, dark, hot, and bustling with all forms of life. Many of the patrons and shopkeepers alike were packing heat and sporting ugly scars and gang tattoos. Part of him, the sheltered part whose family owned a winery, was nervous as he walked, his eyes drifting to dark corners and alleys just to double check. Another part of him, the part that had coaxed him to travel to Omega for excitement and danger, for reasons he wasn’t sure he wanted to admit to himself quite yet, was thrilled. He drew himself up to his full height, broadened the set of his shoulders, and pushed back his jacket so his pistol was visible. He felt larger, more confident, and he stopped checking the shadows.

He approached a particularly decrepit shop, it’s half-lit sign in a language Kaidan only partially recognized - “STORE,” preceded by a word he couldn’t translate. He made his way inside and to the counter, crossing his fingers.

“Hey,” he greeted the shopkeeper, his voice sitting low in his chest. He found it difficult to speak very loudly, these days. “You got any non-dextro cigarettes?”

The shopkeeper was a grisly batarian with a thick scar running from his forehead and diagonally down to the left side of his chin. One of his eyes, the one that the scar passed over, was milky gray rather than black. He snorted, and Kaidan began to grind his teeth, but then he bent down behind the counter and slapped a pack on the counter, the box looking like it had seen better days. Each of the sticks were in tact when Kaidan peeked inside, however, and he sighed in relief.

“You’re lucky, kid. Only a couple of those left.”

“Thanks,” said Kaidan, pulling his credit chit from his pocket. As he scanned it, he paused. “Hey. If I were to…pass you a couple hundred, would you keep those stocked for me?”

The shopkeeper snorted again.

“That shit doesn’t sell,” he said gruffly. “Not gonna spend money keeping them stocked just for you.”

“Three hundred?”

“…fine. But you’re still paying full price for them.”

“Fair enough.”

Kaidan transfered the credits over on his omnitool, thanking the batarian again and plucking a stick from the pack as he left the shop. He could think of a few choice words his mother would have for him if she knew he’d used the allowance she gave him for his “trip” to pay a shady batarian to get him cigarettes. Well. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

He pulled the scrap of paper he’d scribbled the address of his motel onto, smoking his cigarette as he walked. He finished it by the time he arrived, putting out the butt on the side of a trash can before leaving it on top to let the embers safely burn out. He craned his head back, grimacing as he took in the state of the place. Omega was by no means the Presidium, but this place really took the fucking cake. It was three stories, some of the windows boarded up and others broken or cracked but not repaired. As he walked inside there was a delightful mixture of scents, most notably piss and vomit and a little bit of body odor of all kinds. He tried not to make a face as he approached the asari at the counter, a thick handgun sitting conspicuously beside her elbow. She did not smile as he approached.

“Hi.” She didn’t respond, staring at him expectantly. “Um. Do you have any vacancies? Just one bed? Cheapest you have.” He’d really dipped into his funds with that shopkeeper, but if he planned to stay (and he did, he’d apologize to his mother later when he found his nerve)that had been a worthy investment. Unless the guy screwed him over.

Hm. Well. No going back, now.

“We’ve got one room,” the asari replied, hauling an enormous book toward her full of loose papers stuffed in. She let it fall open with a thud, grabbing a pen. “You got anyone with you? Bed’s small.”

“No, it’s only me.”

“It’s 75 credits a night.”

“Jesus, seriously?”

She quirked an eyebrow at him, her expression otherwise remaining blank. “You wanna sleep in the alley out back? S’free.”

Kaidan huffed quietly, squinting at her for a moment before grumbling and digging out his chit again. “Fine.”

“Name?”

“Kaidan Al-…Anders.”

“Kaidan Anders?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. How many nights?”

Kaidan raised his eyebrows, having not really thought that far ahead.

“Uh. Let’s say three nights for now.”

She hummed in acknowledgment, scrawling his information into her book. With her head still bowed, she lifted her free hand, palm up, and stuck it out over the counter. Kaidan stared at her for a moment before he realized she wanted his chit, placing it into her palm awkwardly. She closed her fist around it and began processing his purchase on a sorry looking scanner. Once that was completed she reached in a drawer, and handed his chit back along with a key.

“Up the stairs, room 306. Turn left at the top and it’s the furthest down on the right.”

“Thanks.”

He climbed the stairs, each one sounding like it might collapse under his weight, turned left at the top, and approached the last door on the right. It took a few tries before the lock opened, and the door stuck so bad he had to nudge it with his shoulder. The lights flickered on as he stepped inside, revealing a tiny square of a room, consisting of a twin sized bed tucked underneath the window on the far wall, and a rickety dresser pressed against the wall on the right. To the left was a door, which he was relieved to see led to a bathroom. It was tiny, and dingy, but things appeared functional.

Kaidan crossed the room and dumped his backpack onto the floor, before collapsing into the bed. He grunted as he realized it was stiff, and some springs dug into his back. Could be worse, though. Could be the ground. He hadn’t realized at first, but as he looked over he noticed that he’d been lucky enough to get one of the windows with the glass knocked out. The sound of voices and the whirring of cars passing by met his ears, coupled with the wind whistling between the close-quarters buildings. He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths as he smiled a bit. As difficult as the trip had been, and as abysmal as his current living conditions may be, he’d fucking done it. He’d said he was going to, and he’d almost been too afraid, but he’d made it.

There was no place for him back home, anymore. He couldn’t risk losing control near his parents, near innocents and civilians just trying to live their lives. This was where people like him belonged, where broken murderers belonged, and so this was where he would stay.

* * *

He smoked his pack of cigarettes within a day, and ran out of food around the same time. He hadn’t realized before, just how much he fucking ate. His instructors at That Place had told him that his biotics burned his calories faster than normal humans ( _normal_ ) and he would need to eat three times what he normally might to keep up with it. Living there, the vast amount of funding for That Place had allowed for the kids to eat whenever they wanted without trouble. Living with his mother, who loved to cook and loved even more to feed him, finding enough to eat was hardly a thought. Now, on his own, unable to contact her and unwilling to explain himself even if he could, he realized he was fucked unless he could make some money.

He stopped by the old batarian’s shop again the evening after he’d landed on Omega, approaching the counter with his chit already out and at the ready.

“Hey. Need another pack. Uh, you sell non-dextro food here?”

The batarian grunted, nodding toward the fall wall. “On those shelves. Check the labels. Not my problem if you kill yourself accidentally, kid.”

Kaidan nodded, wandering over. “You can call me Kaidan. Instead of kid.”

“Hm.”

“Should I call you Old Man?”

“…Kath.”

“Okay.”

Kaidan took various boxes off of the shelves, squinting at the ingredients lists as he tried to determine if he could eat them. They all appeared to be pre-cooked shit, stuff that would keep on the shelf for a long time, but they were safe. He started to wonder how long these particular boxes had been there, and quickly shut down that train of thought. After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed an armful of the entire middle shelf, depositing it on the counter before doing the same with the bottom one. Kath gave him a hard look, crossing his arms, and Kaidan quirked his eyebrow in response.

“What? Like you’re gonna sell the human shit outside the slums?”

Kath stared at him for another moment, before beginning to scan the items.

Kaidan packed the boxes into his backpack, glad it was so large and the boxes were small. Next time, he’d need to see if he could go to the slums where the humans lived and find something substantial. But before he could do that…

“Hey,” he said, leaning with his arms folded on the counter top. “You need any help around here?”

Kath paused in his work, giving him another dry look. “No.”

“I can clean,” said Kaidan, powering on anyway. “I don’t complain. I can lift a lot. Stock shelves. You can pay me cheap.”

Kath grunted, no longer looking at him. “It’s a small shop. Don’t need any help.”

“I have combat experience,” Kaidan ventured. “You must have issues with violence. People trying to rob you.”

The old batarian snorted. “If you wanna take on the fucking Blood Pack, kid, you be my guest.”

“Who’s Blood Pack?” Kaidan asked, handing over his chit when Kath held out his hand.

“Gang of vorcha, headed by a krogan. Branch of the vorcha mafia.”

“They cause trouble around here?”

“That’s an understatement.”

Kaidan grinned widely. “Well. Sounds like you do need help, Kath.”

Kath gave him a long, whithering look. “…Eighty credits a day.”

“One-ten.”

“Ninety.”

“A hundred.”

“…deal.”

Kaidan reached and shook Kath’s hand triumphantly, stopping abruptly when he looked a bit startled. “Sorry. Uh. Thank you.”

Kath sighed, shaking his head. “Humans.” He pressed Kaidan’s chit back into his palm. “Be here at 0600 tomorrow morning.”

“Will do. Thanks again.”

“Mm.”


	3. Chapter 3

While he was at That Place, Kaidan had woken at 0500 every single day. He’d roll out of bed, make it, and he’d have ten minutes to shower and be in his uniform and standing in front of his bunk for inspection. Once he’d passed that (because he always did, because he wanted to do well, always wanted to impress superiors) he and the other L2 kids would run laps in the gym, then by the time morning mess came he was absolutely fucking ravenous. He’d enjoyed the routine as it became one of the few things he could predict. His control over his biotics, the exercises they’d be assigned, his instructors’ moods…those were all up in the air.

Anyway.

Kaidan had decidedly fallen out of said routine once That Place had closed down. He woke pretty much whenever he decided he could stomach being conscious, jolted himself the rest of the way into the waking world with some substance or other, had a smoke, skipped breakfast more often than not. The only workout he still engaged in was jogging, finding that it helped him to clear his head. He grew winded more quickly, these days, and he tried to pretend it was something other than the cigarettes doing him in. He was just tired, or something.

Waking to his alarm the next morning was jarring, to say the least, and he smacked at his omnitool until the offending blare was quietened. He pushed himself up to sit, his eyes still closed as he frowned grumpily. The noise outside was no more or less than it had been when he’d fallen asleep; he wondered if Omega every truly slept. Opening his eyes to a squint he ran his fingers through his hair, rolling out of bed before he could talk himself out of it. _Think of the money, think of the money._

Everything he’d brought with him sat on top of the dresser, apart from his clothes, which he’d stuck into the drawers. Soap, a razor, shaving cream, a half-empty pot of hair gel, his ragged notebook and pen, and his father’s book of poetry with the bent spine and faded lettering, all placed very neatly on the right side of the dresser top. On the left side, he’d lined up all of the boxed food he’d bought from Kath the previous evening, organized by type with the names facing outward. He pulled open the top drawer, air blowing out his cheeks as he surveyed his pathetic wardrobe. Two shirts, and two pairs of pants, alongside a handful of underwear. Alright, clearly he’d need to make a run for new clothes, once he’d gotten some decent food.

Kaidan took the soap, razor, hair gel, and a change of clothes into his hands before ducking into the bathroom. The water pressure was abysmal in the shower, and the temperature was almost too cold to stand, but it honestly woke him up quite well. By the time he was standing before the mirror, carefully shaving away his stubble and slicking back his hair with gel, he was as bright eyed as he was going to get without assistance. He wondered if Kath had coffee as he plucked his pistol off of the window sill, clipping it to it’s holster on his hip before leaving his motel room. He passed the other patrons of the place as he descended the stairs, keeping his eyes down as he just focused on getting where he was going. He could feel them staring, but paid no mind. He couldn’t afford trouble, especially not when he’d only just arrived.

The lights were already on inside Kath’s store when he arrived, ten minutes early. Kath himself looked up from behind the counter, an unreadable expression on his face.

“I’m here,” said Kaidan, when they’d just stared at each other for a moment or two.

Kath snorted, reaching behind the counter. He extracted an apron, matching his own, and tossed it at Kaidan. “Put that on. A delivery came this morning. Unpack it and put it out on the shelves.”

The apron was a bit long, brushing on Kaidan’s shins where he was pretty sure it was meant to be above his knees. He didn’t complain, though (it had been part of his “resume” after all), and let himself through the door behind the counter. He emerged into an alleyway, cast in heavy shadow and orange light. An overflowing dumpster sat against the wall of the neighboring building, and next to the door into Kath’s store lay a pile of crates, stacked nearly as tall as he was. After taking a breath, Kaidan wrapped his arms around two of the boxes, hefting them off of the stack and pushing the door back open with his hip. He carried them around the counter and into the store proper, lowering them in the center and looking around for something to pry them open with.

“Here.” Kath tossed him a crow bar. “Shop opens in two hours. We need to be finished by then.”

“Got it.”

After the first couple of boxes, Kaidan fell into a rhythm, carrying and prying and unpacking and stocking becoming almost meditative. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d just done repetitive work, letting his brain rest for a while and using his body to his advantage rather than his biotics. Kath occupied himself otherwise, sweeping and dusting and depositing credits from the previous day. The pair of them worked quietly, but it was a comfortable sort of quiet, the kind that came with two reserved people occupying a space together. When the store opened, Kaidan felt a lightness in his chest that made him smile as he unpacked the last box, sliding the final item onto it’s shelf and nudging it so it was sitting straight.

He felt _pride_.

* * *

Kaidan wasn’t sure if it was cultural or not, but Kath’s schedule didn’t include the human version of a weekend that Kaidan was used to. Instead, he worked three days, closed on the fourth, and then repeated the cycle. For batarian holidays, of which there were many, he noted that he also closed for two or three days. As small as the store itself was, there was a steady stream of customers, rarely a moment passing where Kaidan wasn’t busy restocking a shelf or cleaning up a mess. After a few weeks, he earned the privilege of running the register, Kath trusting him enough with his money that he allowed him behind the counter. He really was an old man, often sitting in a rickety chair tucked into the corner as he barked orders at Kaidan and rested his bones. As gruff as he was, Kaidan grew fond of him, smiling to himself as he began to occasionally find bags of non-dextro food he’d not paid for waiting for him on the counter at the end of the night, or an extra ten or twenty credits sitting in his account that hadn’t been mentioned. The only issue Kath really gave him was about the cigarettes.

“You smoke a pack of those a day,” Kath pointed out one morning, crossing his arms as Kaidan stuffed a brand new box in his back pocket. “Those things are terrible for you.”

“We all die eventually,” Kaidan said nonchalantly. “I’m gonna have one before we go, okay? I’ll be back in five.”

“Nngh. Fine.”

He made his way out into the back alley, leaning up against the wall as he held a stick between his lips and lit it swiftly. He took a deep inhale, closing his eyes and letting it out very slowly as he relaxed after the long day. He enjoyed this work more than he’d expected. So much so, that he still hadn’t gotten around to getting a hold of his parents. He’d been expected to be gone for only three weeks, and it had now been a little over a month. He frowned as the anxiety clenched his stomach, and took another drag to burn it away. When he was nearly finished with the cigarette, he heard Kath’s voice through the still-ajar door. He pushed away, thinking he was calling for him, then paused when he realized he sounded tense.

“Get the hell out of here,” Kath was calling, shouting toward the front of the store. “I’ve got nothing for you pieces of shit.”

There was a pause, then a crash as the door was kicked in, banging against the wall and shattering the glass. Kaidan gasped, wanting to rush in but stopping himself at the last second. He didn’t want to startle a trigger-happy burglar. Instead, he peered into the crack in the door, through which he could see three vorcha, strapped with weapons and snarling as they approached the counter. The one at the front lifted his weapon, leveling it at Kath, who didn’t attack but also didn’t raise his hands in surrender.

“You’ve been skipping payments, Kath,” he hissed. “Can’t guarantee your protection unless you pay.”

Kath glared steadfastly down the barrel of the vorcha’s gun. “Like I said. I’ve got nothing for you. Tell your boss I said to piss off.”

The sound of the weapon cocking made Kaidan tense. He smelled ozone as his skin began to glow a soft blue, illuminating the dark alley and spilling through the door’s crack in a cobalt line on the shop floor. The vorcha threatening Kath paused, leaning to look in confusion and slightly lowering his weapon as he lost focus.

“Wha-”

Kaidan grit his teeth, shouting as he pushed open the door and threw his hands forward, bowling over the vorcha with the force of the biotic kick. A bullet hit the ceiling, knocking out one of the lights, and Kath ducked behind the counter. Kaidan stepped in front of him, prepared to protect, then blinked when he emerged with a handgun, holding it in his whithered hands and aiming it with a snarl. His hands shook, as they did often due to his age, and Kaidan stood his ground in front of him, staring down each of the vorcha as they got back to their feet. They seemed dazed for a moment, which gave him enough time to throw up a barrier in front of himself and Kath just before the bullets began to fly. They hit Kaidan’s shield rapidly, tinkling to the floor. He grit his teeth, squaring up his stance as he swore he felt each impact on his palms. His implant was already beginning to twinge, but he ignored it, holding up the barrier for as long as he could before rolling behind the counter.

He grabbed his pistol, returning fire with one hand and yanking Kath down with the other.

“Try not to get shot, old man!”

Kath didn’t respond, grimacing as he lowered himself to sit, clearly in pain. He wasn’t hit, though, just not made for combat anymore. Kaidan’s protective streak flared inside of his chest like a wildfire, and he patted Kath’s shoulder firmly.

All at once, the gunfire stopped, and the store was quiet. Kaidan’s gut sank, and he peered out of cover very, very slowly. The vorcha were all gone, disappeared through the shattered door that now hung off one of it’s hinges. In the center of the store was a thrown together device made of mismatched parts, that Kaidan frowned at and only recognized a second too late. He grabbed onto Kath, shielding him with his own body, and suddenly there was noise and fire and a rush of force that knocked them both into the opposite wall. Kaidan smacked his back and gasped fruitlessly as the wind was knocked from him, crumpling onto the ground. Above them, the ceiling crumbled, beams and debris raining down around them in pieces, before a large chunk toppled all at once. It landed with a horrible crash, and Kaidan grit his teeth and squeezed shut his eyes as he prepared for the impact that never came. He opened them again, slowly, and found a large slab of concrete inches from his face. He opened his mouth, spluttering as he received a mouthful of dust for his efforts.

Kaidan inched along on his back, until he was out from under the concrete slab and could sit up freely. He pushed himself up with a groan, coughing and spitting out dirt. He squinted around at the now destroyed shop, smoking hovering overhead and fire licking at the walls and shelves of product. With a jolt of realization he gasped, looking around frantically.

“Kath? Kath!”

He received no response. Swearing harshly under his breath, Kaidan rolled onto his knees, crawling around the floor of the shop to avoid the smoke as he shoved aside debris, continuing to call for the old batarian. He reached a particularly heavy slab, hefting it aside with both hands. Underneath he found Kath, cast in gray from the dusk and unmoving. Fear gripped him for a moment, and released him again for the moment when he saw shallow breaths expanding Kath’s chest. He set his teeth, pulling aside the heavy concrete pinning his legs, before carefully dragging the old man free. He jumped, looking over his shoulder as another beam fell from the ceiling on the opposite end of the store; they needed to get the fuck out of there. He rolled onto the balls of his feet, crouching as he hauled Kath over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry, before straightening and squinting through the smoke as he rushed them both out of the building.

He wasn’t sure what he’d expected - an Omega fire department? - but the lack of any emergency vehicles was a jarring difference from what he was used to on Earth. It appeared that Kath’s store was going to be left to burn to embers. If that was the case, Kaidan certainly didn’t want to stick around while the fire spread, jogging in the direction of his motel while still carrying Kath on his shoulders. As he rounded a corner, he nearly ran face-first into a human boy, around his own age, with warm skin and dark eyes and hair, the lower half of his face covered in a black mask that hooked over his ears. Kaidan opened his mouth, but before he could speak the boy darted around him, sprinting in the direction of Kath’s burning store. Kaidan stepped aside as several more young people followed after him, mostly humans peppered with a couple quarians, a turian, and a drell.

He stared in amazement as they all stopped outside of different buildings surrounding the shop, each of them hooking up slapped-together looking contraptions with long hoses to the sides of them. On the signal of the boy who had nearly plowed over Kaidan, they each took hold of the lever on the sides of their machines and shoved it forward. Water sprayed violently from the ends of each hose, and they all rushed to grab hold of the wriggling things, directing the flow toward the building. With each of their efforts combined, the fire was slowly quelled, dying down until the place was only glowing embers, thick smoke billowing up into Omega’s sky and adding to the smog.

As quickly as they had come, each of the kids packed up their contraptions and disappeared into the shadows. The boy who had run into Kaidan paused, looking back at him almost in interest for just a moment. Then, he too disappeared, sprinting to catch up with his friends.


	4. Chapter 4

Kath wasn’t especially heavy, but carrying his unconscious weight up the rickety stares of the motel was easier said that done. Kaidan kept an eye on his feet as he went, the last thing he wanted being tumbling down the stairs with the old man on his back, and pushed the door to his room open with his boot. He swiftly crossed the floor and set Kath gently down on the bed, the light overhead stuttering to life at the movement. Kath was still covered in dust, a cut on his forehead staining some of it a dark burgundy, and he didn’t stir. Only the slow rise and fall of his chest kept Kaidan from completely panicking. He got to work as quickly as he could, grabbing a clean wash cloth from the shelf in the bathroom and wetting it with lukewarm water. He sat beside Kath on the bed, carefully wiping dirt and grit away from his face and forehead so he could see the extent of the damage.

Luckily, it looked worse while it was dirty and blood than it did when Kaidan wiped it all away. A relatively shallow cut, the area around it already beginning to turn a deep brown as it bruised, but not the gushing head injury Kaidan had thought it was initially. As he was trying to clear dirt out of the wound itself, Kath finally stirred, grunting and swatting at him with his eyes still closed. Kaidan dodged, ceasing his effort for the moment in favor of steadying him.

“You alright, old man?”

Kath grumbled, opening his eyes to a squint before swiftly closing them again. “Ugh.”

“I’d give you some of my pain killers, but I dunno if they’d kill you. Even if you were human, they’re pretty strong,” Kaidan snorted. “Sorry.”

“I’ll live.” Kath finally opened his eyes again after a minute, grunting as he pushed himself up to sit. He waved Kaidan’s nervous, hovering hands away. “I’m fine.”

“You sure?” Kaidan asked, frowning as he watched his ginger movements. “Anything broken?”

“No.” Kath leaned back against the wall, looking out the glassless window. His expression darkened, and Kaidan followed his gaze to the thick column of black smoke rising into the air only a few blocks away, swirling off of the remains of the ruined store.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

Kath made a soft noise in his throat, looking away. “Not your fault. I’m not dead, so you did your job.”

“Were they Blood Pack?”

“Mm.”

Kaidan sighed through his nose, clenching his jaw. “Bastards.”

“I’m not the first, kid. And I won’t be the last,” Kath said, his nonchalance ringing false to Kaidan’s ears after weeks of spending long days with the man. “They’re many, and we’re few.”

Anger boiled in Kaidan’s gut and he shook his head. “This place is insane.” He paused, staring out the window again, watching the smoke thin out as it rose higher into the sky and mingled with the haze that sat low over Omega’s skyline. “There was this group of kids. Or, younger people, anyway. They came and put out the fire. Their faces were all covered up.”

Kath sighed, nodded once. “They’re about the only ones in this city that do that kind of thing. They’re just kids, though. That’s all they can do; put out little fires.”

Kaidan frowned at him. “But that’s so much, already. More than anyone else is doing.”

“Maybe. Won’t fix what’s really wrong here.”

“That doesn’t make it useless.”

Kath fixed him with a hard look. “Listen, Kaidan.” The use of his actual name was enough to make Kaidan close his mouth. “You’ve done good work. And I’m lucky you were there. But you put this shit behind you right now, you hear me? It’s not worth it. Heroes don’t live very long.”

“I’m not afraid of dying,” Kaidan said instantly, bristling a bit as Kath just stared at him. “I’m not.”

“What about your family? Are they afraid of you dying?”

Kaidan opened his mouth, but words wouldn’t come out at first. “I-wh-I mean, yeah, probably,” he stuttered, his face burning. “I don’t know what that has to do with anything.”

“If you’re not gonna live for yourself, live for your family,” Kath said firmly. “Throwing your life away at the hands of those vermin isn’t the way someone like you is gonna go. Not on my watch.”

The honesty made Kaidan want to crawl out of his own skin, and he shook his head, clenching his fists as an irrational anger gripped him in the face of Kath’s care. This was not right, this did not fit. Kath spoke to him like he was a nineteen year old boy who still had a life ahead of him. But he wasn’t, he couldn’t be that anymore. He was an L2, a murderer, unworthy of love and headed to a swift and painful death that he could only hope was meaningful in some way when it finally came. He stood abruptly, grinding his teeth, and Kath didn’t stop him.

“I’ll go find a doctor,” he muttered. “I’ll be back.”

He didn’t wait for a response, grabbing his cigarettes before hurrying out of the motel room and shoving his hands into his pockets. His heart beat wildly with an anger he didn’t quite understand, his entire body feeling hot and his implant buzzing dangerously. He fought down the flare, even though it sent a spike of pain right behind his eyes to do so. Kath had seen his biotics and hadn’t mentioned it yet, which he was grateful for, but he wasn’t sure the other residents of Omega would be as even-keeled.

“’Scuse me,” he said, approaching the asari at the desk. She hadn’t gotten much friendlier since their last conversation. “Is there a doctor around here?”

“Down past the market there’s a clinic. I use that term loosely,” she snorted. “The guy’s not cheap, and he’s usually mysteriously out of medigel.”

“It’s fine, I just need him to come look at my friend,” said Kaidan. “He hit his head.”

“Well, you can’t miss him. Just listen for the screaming.”

“…you seem like you’re fun at parties.”

“I don’t go to parties.”

“Of course not.”

* * *

Well, she wasn’t wrong. The volus could only be tentatively referred to as a doctor (Kaidan suspected a medical license did not exist), but he also seemed to have at least a general idea what he was doing. Even if he had been a real doctor, honestly, Kaidan wouldn’t have trusted him much. Possibly less, considering his personal experience with medical professionals.

He told the volus where to find Kath, and decided to go to the market and buy food and bandages and maybe some pain killers Kath could stomach. The air around the place was tinged with smoke, still, and it burned Kaidan’s eyes and nose. He put the lower part of his face behind his collar, squinting through the stinging as he tried to buy his things as quickly as he could.

Heading back toward the motel, his bag of shit slung over his shoulder, he frowned as he heard a voice whisper to him from a shadowy alley. At first he didn’t stop, ducking his head a bit further and speeding up.

“Hey, wait. You were at the fire last night. You bumped into me.”

Kaidan paused at that, turning around and frowning. He was met with a human boy, around his age if not a year or two older. He recognized the dark eyes as the ones that had peered over that black mask the previous night, and shrugged one shoulder.

“Technically, you bumped into me.”

The boy snorted, approaching him and withdrawing a hand from his pocket before holding it out. “Arlo.”

After a pause, Kaidan took it, shaking firmly. “Kaidan.”

Arlo stuck his hand straight back into his pocket. “Haven’t really seen you around here before.” When Kaidan just shrugged again, he smirked. “Relax. I’m not gonna jump you.”

“Can’t be too careful,” said Kaidan. “Especially not after your place of work just got bombed.”

“True and smart. Listen. Come with me, I’ll buy you a drink.”

Kaidan narrowed his eyes at him. “That sounds like something someone who was gonna jump me would say.”

Arlo laughed loudly. “Come on, man. If I wanted to hurt you, I would’ve done it already.”

“I have to get this stuff back to my friend,” Kaidan said. “But uh…maybe later?”

“Sure. I’ll meet you at Afterlife in an hour.”

The guy certainly wasn’t shy. “Alright.”

With that, Arlo was gone, disappearing into the alley just as he had before.

Kaidan decided not to mention the guy to Kath. He focused instead on shaking out a couple of the painkillers he’d bought, getting him a glass of water, and making sure he took them and was comfortable. The doctor seemed to have cleaned and patched him up competently, a thick bandage wrapped around his head.

“Did you get any stitches?” Kaidan asked, kicking their dusty clothes into a pile to be washed.

“No, just tape. It wasn’t that serious.”

“Good.”

By now, Kaidan felt stupid for getting angry, but he wasn’t exactly sure how to apologize. At any rate, Kath didn’t bring it up, never one to stay pissed about anything for all of his bluster. Kaidan still made it a point to make him a meal before leaving, heating it on the tabletop burner he’d managed to pick up a week or so after arriving. He wasn’t technically supposed to have it in the motel, but the place smelled so fucking rank that he was positive the other residents couldn’t tell he did.

After he’d left Kath with his food and made sure his bandages were clean and he could reach his medicine without having to get out of bed, Kaidan left to meet Arlo. Afterlife was near the docking bay, so as to be accessible to the various and colorful patrons the place attracted. As he approached, he felt every pair of eyes he passed slowly swivel and lock onto him. He was used to the routine, by now - draw up to look taller, widen the shoulders, make sure the pistol is visible. It didn’t stop the eyes, but it kept anyone from approaching him. When he came to the bouncer, he thought he might be fucked (was there a legal drinking age on a pirate-infested space port?)but he was allowed in without issue.

Noise and lights were his first impressions of Afterlife, both making him squint a bit as his implant buzzed. He pushed down the discomfort after a moment, rubbing at his eyes in response to the slight ache, and headed for the bar. He forgot himself for a moment, looking around instead of trying to avoid eye contact. He looked back down with a heavy blush as he got an eye-full of a nearly-nude asari dancer on a platform just above his head, bent in half in a way that shouldn’t be physically possible. Keeping his eyes down, he ordered a random drink at the bar, the contents of which he wasn’t sure of, and leaned on his forearms as he waited. He nearly leapt out of his skin, lifting his fists in surprise as a hand clapped his back, but he relaxed when he saw it was only Arlo.

“Jesus,” Arlo laughed, coming around to stand beside him. “Jumpy guy, aren’t you?”

“Sorry,” said Kaidan, embarrassed. “Can’t be too careful around here.”

“True.”

Arlo leaned over the bar, shouting for a drink and addressing the bartender by name with a big grin. Once both of their drinks had been delivered, Kaidan followed him to a corner away from the bar and dance floor, the music a bit less deafening so they could hear each other speak. Arlo flopped into a plush chair, and Kaidan took the one opposite him, sipping his drink and making a slight face at the strength of it. Arlo took a large gulp of his without a flinch, and Kaidan did his best to hide his expressions going forward. Even if the mysterious alcohol hitting the back of his throat made him want to cough.

“How’s old Kath?” Arlo asked, leaning back in his seat.

“He’ll be alright. Just got hit on the head, no stitches though,” said Kaidan. “His store is gone, though.”

Arlo sighed heavily, shaking his head as his smiling eyes tightened at the edges. “Blood Pack. Kath’s been pissing them off for months.”

“They said he owed them money?”

He snorted. “Owed is a strong word. They charge all the businesses around here money in exchange for not fucking their shit up. Kath got sick of it a while ago. Guess he and the boss or something go way back - not friends, but they were on the scene at the same time for a lotta years - so they were lenient with him. Until now,” Arlo muttered.

“On the scene?” Kaidan repeated, tilting his head.

“Yeah. Kath was part of a gang forever, I guess. One of the only people I’ve ever heard of that quit the life and lived,” Arlo snorted. “He’s a badass.”

Kaidan stared at him, sure he was fucking with him. He shook his head when it appeared he was, in fact, completely serious. “Holy shit. What kind of gang?”

“Pirates, I think,” said Arlo, taking another swig of his drink. “He quit when they started slaving. Or that’s what I’ve heard anyway. Some people say the gang wasn’t making enough money so he left. Pretty sure that’s bullshit, though. If a guy wanted to make money, running a store on Omega generally isn’t the way to go.”

Kaidan snorted, nodding. “Yeah, wouldn’t be my first choice. Guess that explains where the scar came from.”

“Yep.”

“You seem to know a lot about him,” Kaidan pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

“Ha! Well, I’m not a fanboy,” Arlo grinned. “Omega’s main currency is fucking gossip. You should hear the shit people say about Aria.”

“Who’s Aria?”

Arlo blinked at him like he’d just grown a head out the side of his neck. “Shit, man, I know you’re new, but you haven’t heard of Aria?”

“Uh…no?”

“She’s the head of Omega. At the moment. Who knows when she’ll be overthrown,” Arlo snorted. “I’d bet on her sticking around for a while though.”

“Oh.” Kaidan sipped his drink, then remembered he was trying to look cool and took a bigger gulp. He almost gagged, but managed to keep it together. “Uh, so,” he began, his voice a bit rough from the bite of the liquor, “why doesn’t Aria do something about Blood Pack, then? If she’s the…I dunno. The one in charge.”

Arlo scoffed again. “Pft. Aria doesn’t give a shit about this kind of thing,” he drawled. “All the gang wars and stuff keep her in business. Without chaos, her position would be in way more jeopardy. As it is, everyone’s too busy trying to take each other’s territory to wonder if maybe someone else should be on the throne.”

“Omega has a throne?”

“Figure of speech, Kaidan.”

“Mm. Have you met her?”

“Nooo way,” said Arlo, eyes wide as he gave him a look. “No one meets Aria unless they’re in her inner circle, or they’re about to get their guts yanked out through their nose.”

Kaidan blinked at him. “That’s an image.”

“I’ve got a way with words,” Arlo grinned.

Kaidan smirked a bit, though it fell quickly. “Someone needs to do something about this whole thing,” he huffed. “It’s not right.” He caught Arlo’s eyes lighting up, and raised his eyebrows at him. “What?”

“Where have you been all my life?” Arlo replied, his smile mischievous and wide.

“Uh…”

“You’re exactly what this rock needs right now,” Arlo continued earnestly. “You’re new, so you’re pissed off. Everyone else is fucking tired and worn down. But you’ve got fire.”

Kaidan couldn’t help blushing a bit. “Do I?”

“Yeah!” Arlo grinned eagerly. “I’ve been trying to convince the guys for ages but they won’t go for it - let’s take the fight to the problem. Let’s fuck over Blood Pack.”

Kaidan’s jaw dropped. “What? No. No way.”

“Come on,” urged Arlo. “I told you, there’s no one else, man. No one’s got any hope. We don’t have to shut them down, just fuck with them enough that their whole operation is thrown off. Put the gangs back in balance. Just a small step forward, y’know?”

The words lit something in Kaidan’s chest, the pile of kindling made up of witnessing injustices and pain and a desperate desire to protect people from those who would abuse their power. Images flashed in his mind: a thick column of smoke crawling lazily toward Omega’s skyline, Kath covered in dust and unconscious on the floor of a burning shop, a turian man shouting so close to Kaidan’s face that he could smell the alcohol on his breath, the girl he loved with her arm snapped and her screams piercing his ears and sending his heart and mind on haywire until rage enveloped him in the form of crackling blue energy-

“Okay,” he said firmly. “Let’s do it.”


End file.
